Advanced guide
Put your site online, step by step
Your site is ready in the Studio. Let’s get it off your screen so the whole world can see it: host it, connect your domain name, and even give you an email address at your own name. Just follow the bold steps. The rest is there for whoever wants to dig deeper.
Export your site from the Studio
In the Studio, open the “Export” menu and pick “Download site (ZIP)”. You get a single file that holds your whole site.
Keep that file handy on your desktop: it’s the one we’ll drop with a host in the next step.
💡 Before exporting, fill in the “Site address” in the Page tab: your metadata will come out cleaner.
What’s inside the ZIP (and how to test it first)
The ZIP holds HTML files (one page = one file), a styles folder and your images. Nothing to install: it’s a “static” site, ready to serve as-is.
Want a peek before publishing? Unzip it and double-click “index.html”: your site opens in your browser, straight from your computer.
Drop your site on Netlify
Go to Netlify Drop, a page that hosts your site for free. Drag your ZIP file straight into the zone shown on screen.
A few seconds later, your site is live at a temporary address (something like “random-name.netlify.app”). Yes, it’s done: your site truly exists on the web.
💡 No technical account needed to test. Create a free account only when you want to keep the site and connect your domain.
Other hosts (Cloudflare, Vercel, GitHub, cPanel)
Netlify is the simplest, but your ZIP site works elsewhere too. Here are the most common options and who they suit:
Netlify ↗
FreeBest for : Getting started, no fuss
- Drag-and-drop, zero config
- Automatic HTTPS
- Generous free tier
Netlify branding in the temporary address
Best for : Speed and heavy traffic
- Very fast global network
- Unlimited free traffic
- Great if your domain is already at Cloudflare
Slightly more technical interface
Vercel ↗
Free to startBest for : Projects that will grow
- Polished deployment
- Excellent for evolving sites
Developer-oriented
GitHub Pages ↗
FreeBest for : People already on GitHub
- Free and stable
- Fine for a simple site
You need to know Git
Hébergeur classique (cPanel)
Paid (often already running)Best for : If you already have a hosting plan
- Reuses what you already pay for
- Email address often included
Manual file upload (FTP)
Test your temporary address
Copy the address Netlify gave you and open it, especially on your phone. Click all your links, check your images, read your text.
This is the perfect time to fix small things in the Studio, re-export, and re-drop. Nobody knows this address yet: you’re free to polish in peace.
Buy your domain name
“yourbusiness.com” is your very own address. Go to Namecheap, type the name you want, and see if it’s free. If it is, add it to the cart and pay, a few dollars a year.
Prefer a “.com” (known everywhere) or a “.ca” (great for Québec). Note the renewal date: you keep a domain by renewing it every year.
💡 Turn on the privacy option (often free) so your personal contact details stay private.
Other places to buy a domain
Namecheap is simple and honest on pricing, but you have options. Watch the renewal price above all, often higher than the first year:
Namecheap ↗
≈ $10–15/yrBest for : Most people
- Clear pricing
- Free privacy
- Simple interface
Upsells to decline
Cloudflare Registrar ↗
At costBest for : Best price, no markup
- At-cost pricing, no markup
- Privacy included
Requires a Cloudflare account
OVHcloud ↗
≈ $12–20/yrBest for : Local businesses (French support)
- Presence in Canada
- French support
Denser interface
Squarespace Domains ↗
≈ $20/yrBest for : Those who want the simplest
- Very polished interface
- Privacy included
A bit pricier
Connect your domain to your site
In Netlify, open “Domain settings” and add your domain. Netlify then shows you a few values to copy.
Go back to Namecheap, into your domain’s DNS section, and paste those values. Save. It’s the only slightly technical moment, but it’s guided copy-paste, not black magic.
💡 Unsure about a value? Copy it exactly as Netlify shows it, without adding anything.
What’s DNS? (A, CNAME, nameservers)
DNS is the web’s phone book: it says “this domain name leads to this server.” You’ll meet three words:
- A record: points your “bare” domain (yourbusiness.com) to an IP address.
- CNAME record: points a subdomain (www.yourbusiness.com) to another address.
- Nameservers: the “hand it all over” option. You replace Namecheap’s name servers with Netlify’s, and Netlify handles the rest.
Not working? Quick troubleshooting
- Wait: a DNS change can take from a few minutes to a few hours.
- Check there’s no old duplicate record pointing elsewhere.
- Re-copy the value with no space before/after.
- Test propagation on whatsmydns.net by typing your domain.
Turn on the little padlock (HTTPS)
The padlock in the address bar is the security certificate (HTTPS). On Netlify it turns on by itself once your domain is connected, often within minutes.
If you don’t see it yet, wait a little, then in Netlify click “Verify DNS configuration” and “Provision certificate.” It’s free and automatic.
With or without “www”: pick one
You want “yourbusiness.com” and “www.yourbusiness.com” to lead to the same place. In Netlify, set a “primary” version; the other is redirected to it automatically. One official address is better for SEO.
Wait, then check everything
After connecting the domain, give the network time to update, from a few minutes to a few hours. Don’t panic if it doesn’t work in the second.
Once live at your address, do a full pass: on your phone and another device, click every link, and confirm the padlock is there.
An email at your domain name
“[email protected]” instantly looks more serious than a Gmail address. The simplest way to start: a free forward. At Namecheap, create a forward that sends “[email protected]” to your usual Gmail inbox.
Want to also write from that address (not just receive)? Move to a real mailbox: Zoho Mail has a free option for one domain, otherwise Google Workspace is the standard.
💡 A forward is free and instant for receiving. A real mailbox lets you send from your pro address.
Compare the email options
From simplest to most complete. To send from your address, you’ll add a few “MX” records at your registrar, and the service walks you through it.
Redirection (registraire)
FreeBest for : Just receiving, right now
- Free
- Set up in 2 minutes
Can’t send from the address
Zoho Mail ↗
Free to modestBest for : A real mailbox, no cost
- Free option for one domain
- Send and receive
Lesser-known brand
Google Workspace ↗
≈ $8–9/moBest for : Those who live in Gmail
- Gmail with your domain
- Calendar, Drive included
Monthly subscription per person
Microsoft 365 ↗
≈ $8/moBest for : Those on Outlook / Office
- Outlook with your domain
- Word, Excel included
Monthly subscription per person
Fastmail ↗
≈ $5/moBest for : Simplicity and privacy
- Fast and ad-free
- Good domain support
Paid from the start
What’s next?
Your site is live, under your name, with a padlock and a pro email. Congratulations. Here are a few next steps, whenever you’re ready:
Go further when you’re ready
- Measure your visitors with a privacy-friendly analytics tool.
- Add a contact form (Netlify has a built-in one).
- Keep a copy of your project (the Studio’s JSON export).
- Put the domain renewal dates in your calendar.
Rather I handle it?
If the domain step gives you cold sweats, or you simply want someone to sort out going live once and for all, that’s exactly the kind of thing I do in twenty minutes. Write me and we’ll put your site online together.